During the seventh inning, Javier Báez walks back to the dugout after getting out for the third time.
Due to irritation in his right hip and lumbar spine, shortstop Javier Báez of the Detroit Tigers was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Friday.
Manager A.J. Hinch stated that more details will be available following Báez’s thorough testing.
Báez was a vital member of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series squad. He made his way back to Wrigley Field on Tuesday. Along with helping the Cubs win their first championship in 108 years, he batted.375 in the NLDS and was awarded co-MVP of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He signed a $140 million, six-year contract with Detroit in December 2021, but he hasn’t played well since. He was an NL All-Star in 2018 and 2019.
After the game, Jayce came into my office and discussed his persistent hip and back problems. As a result, we sent him for testing. His first exam indicated that he should be added to the injured list. To ascertain the complete scope and duration, he will undergo more testing tomorrow, Hinch stated.
In 80 games this season, Báez has six home runs, 37 RBIs, and a.184 batting average.
The Tigers recalled Ryan Kreidler, an infielder, from Triple-A Toledo to take his place. This season, Kreidler has appeared in 21 games for the Tigers and has six hits in 44 at-bats.
Detroit Tigers Use Early Signed Latest 2024 MLB Draft
The Detroit Tigers signed every player in the 2024 MLB Draft class by the deadline. But to get it done, a little planning was necessary.
Baseball America just published a piece discussing how each team uses its draft bonus fund. A bonus pool is awarded to each team based on a number of variables.
The Tigers were authorized to spend up to $12.512 million as long as they did not exceed the bonus pool by more than 5%. The bonus pool was $11.921 million. The 5% limit was exactly where the Tigers were.
Every pick has a slot value that suggests what that draft pick should get, especially in the first ten rounds. Teams may choose to pay the slot value, less than the slot value, or more than the slot value.
In order to ensure that they signed their early picks, the Tigers donated more to Detroit, who followed a tactic known as “spend early, save late” (Ballpark America).
Bryce Rainer, a prep outfielder with a slot value of $5.712 million, was chosen by the Tigers in the first round. Detroit added $85,000 to his payment.
Pitcher Ethan Schiefelbein, another prep pick, was similarly selected by Detroit. He was chosen by the Tigers as their competitive balance pick in the second and third rounds. On a slot value of $1.09 million, Detroit actually paid him far over the slot ($1.80 million).
The Tigers needed to make up that total of $643,000 over slot. Thus, on the second day of the draft, they executed it with the collegiate players they had chosen.
The next six picks made by the Tigers were all from four-year universities. Did Detroit manage to save $679,000 of their bonus money by getting all of them to sign under-slot deals?
Why? Like other professional leagues, major league teams prefer to sign players when they’re younger. Teams will sometimes overpay for high school players because of this. In addition, if a four-year college player has exhausted their eligibility, teams may use their influence.
For this reason, the Tigers selected Zach Swanson, a pitcher from Toutle Lake High School in Washington, with their ninth-round selection, over the slot once more.
In that instance, Detroit was fortunate to stumble across a highly regarded talent. MLB Pipeline ranked Swanson at No. 178, and the Tigers selected him at No. 266 overall. Detroit therefore paid $527,000 more than Swanson’s slot value of $195,100 in order to get him to begin his pro career rather than enroll in college immediately.
The Tigers then had to use their remaining selections wisely in order to avoid going over their allotted bonus pool overage.
Every MLB team must perform this delicate balancing act, and the Tigers did a good job at it to secure a deal for their class.
